Sanju Samson's place in India's XI for second T20I against Afghanistan in doubt ahead of tonight's match

Sanju Samson's selection in India's playing XI for the second Twenty20 international against Afghanistan, scheduled tonight, is uncertain after a poor showing in the first T20I on September 13, 2026. India won that opening match by seven wickets.

Samson has been an established wicketkeeper-batter within India's T20 group and was a key member of the 2026 T20 World Cup-winning squad. He has won two T20 World Cups for India, in 2024 and 2026. His international career has included spells of inconsistent form, and India now have multiple batting options vying for T20I places. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi recently emerged as Player of the Series in India’s T20I series against Zimbabwe.

In the first match of the Afghanistan series, Abhishek Sharma struck 82 off 32 balls and Ishan Kishan made 42 as India chased down the target. Samson managed 10 runs from 8 balls, including two fours, before being dismissed early in that game. The scoreline and individual performances in that contest have sharpened selection questions ahead of the second fixture.

Samson’s recent run of low scores has included poor returns against Ireland, England and Afghanistan, with the latest T20I adding to those struggles. A number of players in India’s squad—Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi—are seen as candidates who could occupy opening roles. Sooryavanshi’s omission from the first game attracted criticism given his form in the Zimbabwe series.

Based on the latest T20I game predictions, Samson appears likely to retain his place for the second match, which would hand him an immediate chance to respond. The second T20I therefore represents a direct opportunity for Samson to try to arrest his poor form.

If Samson continues to struggle in tonight’s game there will be more questions regarding his spot, with Sooryavanshi waiting for his turn.